


Closer

by drivingmishcrazy



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:54:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22600564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drivingmishcrazy/pseuds/drivingmishcrazy
Summary: Set immediately after “Minimal Loss” 4x03Derek Morgan had nearly lost Emily at the compound in Colorado, and he just needed to make sure that she was okay.
Relationships: Derek Morgan/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 2
Kudos: 54





	Closer

It was the night after they got back from Colorado.

Derek had paced outside Emily’s door for almost an hour, trying to get up the courage to knock, worried that he was disturbing her from getting some much needed rest. He hadn’t really gotten a chance to talk to her since they recovered her and Reid from the Seperatarian Sect compound in Colorado, but she had been, understandably, a little worse for wear.

Listening to Benjamin Cyrus beating her had nearly undone him. Derek had felt sick to his stomach. That was his partner, his  _ friend,  _ his...he didn’t know what else. There had been something unspoken between Derek Morgan and Emily Prentiss for the past two years, they had clicked almost instantly when Emily had first joined the team, and though team members weren’t strictly supposed to engage in romantic relationships, Derek couldn’t deny that he was drawn to her. Swallowing the nervousness he felt, Derek rapped on the door before he could change his mind. Moments ticked by and Derek had almost resolved to give up and go home when she opened the door.

It was hard not to stare at the harsh bruises blooming on her face in hues of brown and purple, but even in that state, Emily Prentiss was absolutely beautiful.

“Morgan?” She said, her eyebrows rising. “What are you doing here?”

Derek shrugged and crammed his hands in his pockets. His mouth suddenly felt dry. He had been so determined to come over to her place and say  _ something  _ to her that he never really figured out what exactly it was that he wanted to say.

“I came to make sure you were alright.” He said. “I never really got the chance to ask, after…”

Emily sighed. “Right.” She said. “You could have just called, you know. You didn’t have to come all the way over here just to check up on me.”

He shrugged. “I did.”

“You did.” She said, smiling that brilliant, beautiful smile. “Did you want to come in, or-?”

“Sure.” He said. “If you’re inviting me in, princess.”

Emily opened the door wider and stepped aside to let Derek in. He had been to her place before, it wasn’t unheard of for the two of them to go half and half on pizza and beer and watch mindless television shows together after a case. They spoke each other’s language, and truth be told, Prentiss was maybe the only person that could match Derek shot for shot when it came to drinking, swearing, and dirty jokes. In return, Derek felt comfortable enough with Emily to show  _ her  _ a side of him that few people knew existed, the guy who read Vonnegut and loved fantasy, and who actually understood the majority of her nerdy jokes, though he swore up and down that he’d deny it if she ever told anyone. That night though, he felt out of place, like he shouldn’t have been there, and he mentally kicked himself for not having a more concrete plan.

“Can I get you anything?” Emily asked, closing the door and locking it. “Some water, I think I have beer left over from the last time we hung out…?”

“I’m good.” Derek said. “I really did just come by to make sure you were okay.

Emily laughed. “I’m okay.” She said. “Really, this is nothing. I’ve done worse with my own two feet.”

“You  _ are _ a klutz.” Derek chuckled. He shook his head and suddenly became serious. “But it’s not nothing, Emily. Not to me, okay?”

“Morgan, come on.” Emily said. “It’s a couple of cuts and bruises, I’ve got a few cracked ribs, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.” He said. “That son of a bitch  _ hurt  _ you, and I had to stand by and let it happen!”

“Are you really going all macho man on me?” She said, crossing her arms. “I’m a big girl, Derek. I don’t  _ need _ to be protected like some damsel in distress.”

“Emily that’s not-“ He sighed. “That’s not how I meant it. I  _ know  _ you can handle yourself, alright?”

“Then what do you mean?” She asked. “Because you’re acting really weird and it’s kind of freaking me out right now.”

Derek sighed again and clasped his hands behind his head, eyes on the ceiling.

“I was scared, Prentiss.” He said, still not looking at her. “I thought he was gonna kill you, that he was gonna beat you to death, and it scared me, alright?”

Emily shook her head. “You’re not scared of anything.”

“I was then.” Derek said. “And every moment after until we got you back safe.”

Emily stepped forward and took his face in her hands, squinting as if she were searching for something. Derek flinched and pulled away.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“Checking to see if your pupils are dilated.” She said without a hint of humor in her tone to indicate that she was joking. “Are you high? I mean, no judgment if you are, but you shouldn’t be driving.”

“Woman, I am  _ not  _ on drugs!” He exclaimed. “Is it  _ really  _ that hard to believe that I care about you?”

“Reid was in there too!” She said. “I don’t see you driving over to  _ his  _ apartment to check on him.”

“That’s different.” Derek said. 

“How?” Emily demanded. “How is that different?”

“Because he’s not you, Emily!” He said. “He’s not you!”

Emily stood stock-still, like he had just poured cold water on her. She suddenly felt  _ very  _ exposed, like maybe Derek could see through her, beneath her skin. All the air seemed to have been sucked out of the room and why the  _ hell  _ was her heart beating so loud?

“I don’t know what that means.” She said. “What do you  _ mean  _ he’s not me?”

“I don’t know either.” He said. “Look, I should go. I’m glad you’re alright, Prentiss.”

Derek turned on his heel to leave and was surprised to find Emily grabbing his arm and pulled him back around to face her, a spark in her brown eyes like wood that was about to catch fire.

“Wait!” She said, then said it again, much softer. “Wait. Don’t go, Derek. Don’t. I want you to stay.”

Derek stared at her for a long minute, hyper aware of the fact that Emily did  _ not  _ loosen her grip on his arm, if anything she held on more firmly, and she looked at Derek like she was seeing him for the first time. As if scales had been lifted from her eyes like some act of God and she finally  _ saw  _ him.

“Please?” She said. 

Her voice was barely above a whisper, and there was something desperate and needy about it. Derek found himself lifting his free hand to brush the hair away from Emily’s face, his fingertips lingering on the bruised skin of her cheek. The space between them seemed to crackle with electricity, a spark waiting to ignite.

“You’re kind of incredible, you know.” Derek said. “Most people wouldn’t have taken a beating like that for a friend, no matter how loyal they were.”

“Well…” Emily said, practically breathed. “I’m not like most people.”

“You’re damn right you’re not.” Derek replied, pulling her closer. “You’re unlike  _ anyone  _ I’ve ever met.”

“Derek Morgan.” She said. “Are you coming on to me?”

“That depends, princess.” He said. “Is it working?”

“I don’t know.” She said. “Why don’t you kiss me and find out?”

That was all the encouragement Derek needed as he took Emily’s face in his hands and tilted it up, his head lowered and his lips brushed against hers slowly, tentatively, as if asking permission to proceed. Emily answered by wrapping an arm around his neck and closing what little distance remained between them. Derek felt the muscles in his shoulders relax as the kiss deepened and he found his tongue pushing past parted lips to explore Emily’s mouth. He gave a low groan when he felt the tip of Emily’s tongue tracing his and she pressed against him. He felt his back and  _ other  _ things stiffen as Emily’s hands drifted from his neck down his chest, snaking down his abdomen to tug at the shirt tucked into his jeans. Reluctantly, Derek found himself pulling away.

“Wait, wait, wait.” He said. “Emily, we can’t.”

Emily’s brows furrowed and she looked stricken, hurt even. “Why not?” She asked. “Don’t you want to?”

“Of course I do.” He laughed, pressing his forehead to hers. “You have no idea how much.”

Emily smirked and pressed her hips against his. 

“Well come on now, give me a little credit.” She said. “I think I have  _ some _ idea how much.”

“You have three cracked ribs.” He said. “You were  _ just  _ beaten black and blue less than forty-eight hours ago, I don’t want to risk making it even worse.”

“You won’t.” Emily said. “I promise. Do you trust me?”

“Yeah, I trust you.” Derek said. “I trust you with my life.”

“Then trust me to know what I’m doing.” She said, leaning to whisper in his ear. “Come to bed with me.”

“My god, princess.” He said, laughing breathlessly and kissing her again. “You make it hard to say no to you.”

“Then say yes.” Emily murmured into the warm skin on his neck. “I swear, I’ll make it worth your time.”

“You’ve always been worth my time, Emily.” Derek said. “I never needed to sleep with you to see that.”

Emily smiled and led him by the hand to her bedroom, where Derek found himself being pushed up against the door and kissed hard. Clothes were quickly shed and Derek found he couldn’t help himself, as his eyes went to every mark, every bruise on Emily’s body, from scooping her up and laying her gently on the bed and kissing every bruise and sore spot that Cyrus had left on her, plus a few more scars he found besides.

“You are so beautiful.” He said, leaving a trail of kisses down her ribcage. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

“You’re not too bad, yourself.” She chuckled, breathing in sharply as he dared go lower. “You treat all the girls you get with like this?”

“Just you.” He said. “Maybe I should show you what other things I don’t do for just anyone.”

“Don’t let me stop you.” Emily said as he settled between her thighs. “You certainly won’t hear me complaining…”

Much later they laid in bed together, their faces flushed, bodies stuck together with sweat, still breathing heavily from the activities that had just concluded. Derek kissed Emily on the nose and laced the fingers of her shaky hand with his own.

“You know.” He said. “I feel like we should probably go out on an actual  _ date  _ after this.”

“Yeah?” Emily said. “What, are you afraid that I’m gonna think you’re easy after what we just did?”

“Hey now!” Derek laughed. “I take my virtue very seriously. For all I know, you were only after one thing.”

“Hmm, I counted three.” Emily teased, laughing at the annoyed look she got in response. “If you’re seriously asking me to go out with you as if I’m gonna say no after  _ that,  _ I think I have an answer for you.”

Derek raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

Emily’s face broke into a grin. 

“Yeah.” She said, and pulled him in for another deep kiss that started Derek’s heart pounding again and left him breathless when she pulled away. “How’s that for an answer, Morgan?”

“I think that’ll do, princess.” He said. “I think that’ll do just fine.”

That night was the beginning of something new for both of them. The unspoken thing between them had finally been put into words, and there was no going back for either Derek  _ or  _ Emily. Luckily for both of them, neither of them wanted to. They fit too perfectly in each other’s arms, and after how close they came to losing one another in Colorado, they both agreed to see where their feelings went and what the future held for them. Both of them hoped secretly, or maybe not so secretly, that whatever the future was, that it would be bright and that they would face it together.


End file.
